Lately

Last weekend we decided to hop on the bike and embark on another adventure. Thanks to sites like Pinterest I have been able to research things to do locally and find is quick weekend adventures. Because of this research I found so many articles about all the little ghost towns within a 2-4 hour drive.

The first of our ghost town adventures was Shaniko, Oregon. Shaniko was once a bustling town that made most of its income by growing sheep and selling the wool. Once the railroad found a more direct route from Eastern Oregon to Portland, Shaniko slowly died. Then half the town burned down from a brush fire. Today the total population of Shaniko is 25-30 residents.

If you ever find yourself on Highway 97 take an hour to stop and walk around. Loved experiencing this little piece of history and intend on returning soon.

Happy November 1st! I hate to say it’s officially the holidays but woah! Thanksgiving is only four weeks away. Hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween.

I’ve been meaning to get this post up all week but work and life have been busy.

My mom and sister came over Sunday morning for a little walk down memory lane. We spent a few hours together going through old family photos. It was emotional but also so good. I think we needed this to really appreciate the lives we’ve been given and the memories attached.

Doing: Lately we’ve been doing a lot of working and a lot of rental house maintenance… Nothing glamorous and exciting. L is in full fledge busy season and I started my new job in early June. Its just one giant game of him trying to stay caught up and me trying to catch up.

Thinking about: I wrote about it here but my 1.5 years left of my twenties seems to be looming over my head like a black cloud. I’m not in full fledge panic mode but I’m definitely aware. I want to live my/our life to the fullest and I’m starting to become aware of the little mundane task that I let become bigger priorities than they need to be. I’m giving too much of myself to stress. I want our life to have so many carefree moments like the picture above. We’ve been talking a lot about it and I think we’re on to a great start. Hello Mexico in 150 days!!

Watching: Before bed every night we have been Its always sunny in Philadelphia. Why have we waited so long to watch this show. I laugh tip I cry every episode. I get the humor isn’t for everyone, but I love the narcissitic characters. I feel like I can relate to Sweet D on many levels its rather embarrassing.

Looking forward to: L and I are looking forward to our 10 days in Mexico. We planned this trip perfectly. Right after his busy season is complete and right in the middle of the rainy season. Ten days away from the Oregon gray mist that we get for nine months straight is exactly what the doctor ordered. Plus we never took a big honeymoon. After spending a lot of cash on the wedding we decided to keep our honeymoon local and small. These ten days away is going to be exactly what our marriage needs every once in awhile. A trip just the two of you is like marriage insurance.

Reading: So I finished the first book of the Divergent series. I’ve started the second one but reading just hasn’t been on the priority list lately. I’m loving the second book more than the first. You get to learn more about the city and why they’ve divided the city. Plus you get to meet more divergents.

Loving: I’m loving a lot right now. The seasons are starting to click. The days are still hot but the nights have started cooling off to the point of needing a sweater. I love this time of year when you can feel the seasons click together. I’m just like every other person who lives in the PNW (pacific northwest) who thinks fall is the best season ever. I’m also loving the season of our life. We 2 months into year two of marriage and things just feel normal. Not a bad normal but a comfortable this is how things should be normal. We have a routine. We have our house hold responsibilities divided equally. We have our future figured out/agreed apron as best as any one thinks they can plan for the future. Always have to leave room for the unexpected.

Well as you can probably tell there isn’t a whole lot happening around here. Yes busy but right now seems to be more of the daily life stuff. Sometimes those are the best times.

Life lately has been pretty smooth. Most of our weekend’s have looked like the pictures above. I end up with dirty feet and dogs surrounding me. L makes dinner every night but on the weekends he pulls out the chef skills. I’m not a huge fan of the summer heat but being lazy makes these summer days amazing.

I’m still recovering a bit from my weekend in California but I need to get it together quickly. Life isn’t going to be slowing down anytime soon. Hello mid August!

I’m not 100% positive how it happened, but I have joined a team for Hood to Coast. I guess it just came up in casual conversation at work, a co-worker happened to have a spot open on his team and bang I agreed. H2C is something I’ve grown up hearing about and watching. Getting on a team is tough, and even though I enjoy running I never actually thought I would one day be able to participate.

After finishing the Shamrock 5K last month.

Once I finished the Shamrock run it really hit me I need to start training. Well mainly because later that day pictured above my uncle and I agreed to participate in the Rock n Roll Half on May 18th. Now get me wrong, I’m very excited for this year and the goals I’ve set for myself. But something in me, that I like to hide deep down inside, is starting to resurface.

I’ve starting conditioning three days a week and running with my H2C team once a week. Four days a week of pretty intense toning/cardio. I’m seeing my body change and develop to be an amazing machine. But the other day while getting ready I started picking out every flaw. I’ve even noticed my eating habits have changed. This inner demon comes out without me even realizing it. This demon is frustrated when I see other women running and I’m not where they are athletically (even weight wise). The me writing this is happy with the person I am physically, but that demon is telling me I’m not good enough.

I don’t want to be the girl counting calories or the girl that looks too thin. I want to see the strength I’ve been building, and the amazing machine I’m building. I know its not me when I look at myself in the mirror or even a picture and all I see is love handles or double chins.

I believe everyone has an inner demon. I also feel we need to let everyone talk about that inner demon. I’ve tried to talk to a few friends regarding mine and its frustrating when they basically tell me I don’t have any reason to have weight issues. My demon isn’t a weight issue, she’s an appearance issue. She tells me I’m not good enough no matter how hard I try.

So I’m making the choice through all this training to lose that demon. Kicking her to the curb. I work hard, and should be able to enjoy my successes. I’m not perfect and don’t want to be perfect. I just want to enjoy me, myself, and I without that demon comparing me to the other gal in the room.

Happy Tuesday! This last weekend I went to beach with a few of my co-workers. It was exactly what I needed in order to recharge my batteries and get myself prepared for this looming ((BUSY)) holiday season.

The cute house we stayed in.

This wood stove was my life saver! I was freezing all weekend.

Hello Lover! This beauty is for sale and I’m drooling/dreaming. Someday…

I can’t even count how many fashion blogs I follow. I need them to help inspire my own personal style. It helps me break out of my comfort box.

I was recently scrolling through my phone and realized I’m no where near as awesome at fashion bloggers. Sometimes I think about sharing more of my personal style but then I’m brought back down out of the clouds when look at my awesome fitting room/bathroom portraits.

I complied a few just to show you guys. My style isn’t anything spectacular but sharing it does sound fun. I hope you enjoy my attempts at fashion blogging!!